s deep there was an inn a little back from
the road, very large and wide-spread, with a great green bush
hung upon a pole from one of the upper windows. at this window
he marked, as he rode up, that a man was seated who appeared to
be craning his neck in his direction. alleyne was still looking
up at him, when a woman came rushing from the open door of the
inn, and made as though she would climb a tree, looking back the
while with a laughing face. wondering what these doings might
mean, alleyne tied his horse to a tree, and was walking amid the
trunks towards the inn, when there shot from the entrance a
second woman who made also for the trees. close at her heels
came a burly, brown-faced man, who leaned against the door-post
and laughed loudly with his hand to his side, "ah, mes belles!"
he cried, "and is it thus you treat me? ah, mes petites! i
swear by these finger-bones that i would not hurt a hair of your
pretty heads; but i have been among the black paynim, and, by my
hilt! it does me good to look at your english cheeks. come,
drink a stoup of muscadine with me, mes anges, for my heart is
warm to be among ye again."
at the sight of the man alleyne had stood staring, but at the
sound of his voice such a thrill of joy bubbled up in his heart
that he had to bite his lip to keep himself from shouting
outright. but a deeper pleasure yet was in store. even as he
looked, the window above was pushed outwards, and the voice of
the man whom he had seen there came out from it. "aylward,"
cried the voice, "i have seen just now a very worthy person come
down the road, though my eyes could scarce discern whether he
carried coat-armor. i pray you to wait upon him and tell him
that a very humble knight of england abides here, so that if he
be in need of advancement, or have any small vow upon his soul,
or desire to exalt his lady, i may help him to accomplish it."
aylward at this order came shuffling forward amid the trees, and
in an instant the two men were clinging in each other's arms,
laughing and shouting and patting each other in their delight;
while old sir nigel came running with his sword, under the
impression that some small bickering had broken out, only to
embrace and be embraced himself, until all three were hoarse with
their questions and outcries and congratulations.
on their journey home through the woods alleyne learnt their
wondrous story: how, when sir nigel came to his senses, he with
his fellow-captive had been hurried to the coast, and conveyed by
sea to their captor's castle; how upon the way they had been
taken by a barbary rover, and how they exchanged their light
captivity for a seat on a galley bench and hard labor at the
pirate's oars; how, in the port at barbary, sir nigel had slain
the moorish captain, and had swum with aylward to a small coaster
which they had taken, and so made their way to england with a
rich cargo to reward them for their toils. all this alleyne
listened to, until the dark keep of twynham towered above them
in the gloaming, and they saw the red sun lying athwart the
rippling avon. no need to speak of the glad hearts at twynham
castle that night, nor of the rich offerings from out that
moorish cargo which found their way to the chapel of father
christopher.
sir nigel loring lived for many years, full of honor and laden
with every blessing. he rode no more to the wars, but he found
his way to every jousting within thirty miles; and the hampshire
youth treasured it as the highest honor when a word of praise
fell from him as to their management of their horses, or their
breaking of their lances. so he lived and so he died, the most
revered and the happiest man in all his native shire.
for sir alleyne edricson and for his beautiful bride the future
had also naught but what was good. twice he fought in france,
and came back each time laden with honors. a high place at court
was given to him, and he spent many years at windsor under the
second richard and the fourth henry--where he received the honor
of the garter, and won the name of being a brave soldier, a true-
hearted gentleman, and a great lover and patron of every art and
science which refines or ennobles life.
as to john, he took unto himself a village maid, and settled in
lyndhurst, where his five thousand crowns made him the richest
franklin for many miles around. for many years he drank his ale
every night at the "pied merlin," which was now kept by his
friend aylward, who had wedded the good widow to whom he had
committed his plunder. the strong men and the bowmen of the
country round used to drop in there of an evening to wrestle a
fall with john or to shoot a round with aylward; but, though a
silver shilling was to be the prize of the victory, it has never
been reported that any man earned much money in that fashion. so
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